Interactive webpages

Till now we have talked of webpages that contain information,and format it using simple text and stimulating vedio and audio aids. But in addition to simply presenting information,webpages can also provide active service to the users.The technic that permit this is called the Common Gateway Inteerface ( CGI ).The CGI has a provision where a URL is associated with a program instead of a webpage when a user select such a URL through his browser,the server runs the associated program and sends the result to the user.The CGI permits server to run several program.Such program may access information resident on the server machine and process that information for the user.

The interactive webpages are revolutionising the way we do business in our times.Commercial organisations create elaborate websites that give their customers the same services as were rendered by humans.For instance,a company that sells some products might have an elaborate websites that helps customers make actual purchases.A customer visit the website,and using a form specifies what he wants to buy.He would normally have to supply his credit information to make the purchase.The CGI programs will check databases to see whether the company has that particular product in stock.If such a search is positive,the programs will accept the customer's order and send information to the company's delivery department to deliver the product to the customer's address.

This is a very simple model but it shows how the web can be used effectively to alter very way we conduct business.The quallity of service improves substantially.the customers can request for services for any time and can be assured that their requirements will be met.This has led to a new term being coined.That term ''e-commerce is sort form for ''Electronic Commerce '' and refers to commercial activities where a substantial part of intermediate are rendered using the web.Banks and financial institutions interact with customer to give them the complete range of services.The companies interact with their customers using the web to enable customer to request after-sales services and other related services.